Bandar Seri Begawan is a small town whose centre is easily walkable.
However, it also has several attractions outside the centre, which can be reached by the not too busy bus service or by taxi via the DART mobile app.
Compare hotels in Bandar Seri Begawan
DART ride sharing app
The most used transport for locals and tourists alike are taxis via the DART mobile app.
Grab, Uber, Gojek or any other well-known apps don't work in Brunei, but DART is their Brunei equivalent and is very easy to use.
You summon a car in the same way as in the well-known apps Uber, Bolt, etc.
How to pay and prices
The prices are dynamic and depend on the current demand, just like other similar apps.
Taxi DART is relatively expensive compared to neighbouring countries, but cheaper than regular taxis.
You will usually pay around 5 bnd for a trip from the city centre to Gadong Night Market or Jame Asr' Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque.
A trip from the centre to Brunei BWN Airport will cost between 12 bnd and 15 bnd and if you want to go to the beach resort of Jerudong, be prepared for around 22 bnd.
You can choose from two payment methods:
- Cash - you always pay the exact amount you see on the app.
- Credit - you can upload a credit to the app by paying with your debit or credit card, which will be automatically charged when you complete your ride. However, the credit is non-refundable.
It's not customary to leave a tip for the driver, but if you want to round the price up, the driver will usually accept the tip.
Availability of DART cars
DART does not only operate in Bandar Seri Begawan, but all over the country.
Car availability is good in the city centre, where you will usually wait 5-10 minutes for a car to arrive. In the outskirts of Bandar Seri Begawan, the waiting time is 15-30 minutes and outside the city it can be 30-60 minutes.
However, usually drivers will confirm a ride immediately even if you are outside the centre, it just takes longer for them to reach you.
You can also book DART on the app for an exact time in the future, which is handy for an early morning ride to the airport, for example, when current car availability may not be as good.
Is DART safe?
Yes. Brunei is generally very safe and you don't have to worry about any scams. You always pay the price you see on the app before you ride.
DART drivers must hold a taxi license and traffic laws are generally followed in Brunei.
Taxi
You won't see many regular taxis on the street.
In addition, the cars usually don't have the classic "Taxi" sign on the roof, but only behind the window inside the car.
There are taxi ranks in front of the old bus station in the city centre (see map) or at the airport.
Prices and payment
Taxis are always metered and payment is cash only. Similar to DART, there is no fraud or unmetered rides by regular taxi drivers.
Taxi fares are based on the meter:
- 3 bnd - The charge for a ride to/from the airport
- 3,50 bnd - 1 km or 1 minute ride (whichever comes first)
- 0,20 bnd - every additional 250 metres or 15 seconds of driving (whichever comes first)
Between 18:00 and 6:00 there is a 50% surcharge.
Typically, regular taxis are more expensive than rides via the DART mobile app.
Public transport - buses
Public transport in Bandar Seri Begawan and its close surroundings (Muara, Jerudong, Sengkurong, Kuala Lurah, Lumapas and others) is provided by buses.
All services depart on their route from a central bus stop marked as "BSB Bus Station". It is located on Kianggeh Road near The Brunei Hotel *** (see map).
The different bus routes are identified by a number painted on the front of the bus under the windscreen.
The buses have their own fixed timetable but cannot be found anywhere. There are no timetables posted at bus stops and only the Transport BN mobile app provides online information, but it only lists the stops for each line.
Prices and tickets
Fares are uniform on all lines and are 1 bnd.
You pay per ride no matter how many stops you make.
You always pay the fare to the driver when you get off the bus and you can only pay in cash.
Routes, timetables and maps
In practice, buses run about once an hour on each line, but some lines run only once every 2 hours.
Buses run from approximately 6:00 to 20:00. However, at 20:00 the service ends, so usually the last buses on the route leave between 18:45 and 19:00.
There are more frequent connections, for example on lines 20, 1C, 1A or 36, which run about 2-3 times per hour.
What are the most useful lines for tourists?
- Routes 01A, 01C, 20, 22 - go from the centre to Gadong Night Market
- Routes 23, 24, 34, 36, 38 - go from the centre to Brunei BWN Airport
- Routes 42, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 56 - go from the centre to the Sultan's Palace Istana Nurul and the popular budget hotel Badi'ah
- Routes 55, 57, 58 - go from the centre to Jerudong resort
- Routes 37, 38, 39 - go from the centre to Muara bus station where you can change to line 33 towards Muara beach or Serasa pier
For an official map of bus routes in Bandar Seri Begawan, see below. You can download the map in pdf format from the official website jpd.gov.bn.
Motorboat to Kampong Ayer
The fastest way to get to the popular tourist water village of Kampong Ayer is by boat from downtown.
Small speedboats have no timetable or specific dock.
Just walk along the waterfront in both downtown and Kampong Ayer, and within a minute you'll be approached by one of the many ferries offering transportation to the other side of the river.
One ride costs 1 bnd and it's cash only.
The ride takes about 1 minute.
